* * *
Drew arrivedat Neptune’s Reef just before six.
“You’re not alone tonight, are you, Mr. Drew?” Gabe asked.
“No, the others will be along shortly, so I’ll need seating for maybe eight people.”
“No problem. Follow me.”
Gabe sat him at a set of facing sofas with a chair at either end. He set down napkins on the low cocktail table and said, “I’ll be right back with waters.” He returned moments later, placing eight glasses of water down to hold the seats.
“Thank you, Gabe.”
“Of course. Would you like a cosmopolitan?” Drew was impressed that he had remembered his drink from the night before.
A few minutes later, Kris and his family entered the lounge, and Drew waved them over. He stood and hugged Kris, giving him a soft kiss. He noticed Kat nodding in approval.
“I’m sorry I missed drinks in your cabin, Mrs. Putnam,” he said. “I slept longer than I planned to.”
“No problem, Drew. And please, call me Dee.”
They chatted about their day, then moved on to plans for the next day. They would be in Nassau, and several of them were taking a snorkeling tour. Kris and Drew begged off, explaining that Drew wasn’t really interested in that activity, so they planned to have a relaxing day on the ship.
Later that evening, Drew apologized to Kris about the snorkeling trip, saying he should go if he wanted to since Drew didn’t mind staying on the ship alone.
“No worries. I’ve been before, and frankly, I’d rather stay on the ship too. I love hanging out on board during a port day. It’s nice and quiet.”
* * *
The next morning,they ate breakfast together at the buffet, then Kris announced he was going to the pool to lie in the sun for a while.
“Okay,” Drew said. “I think I’ll roam around the ship for a little while, but I may join you later.”
“Sounds good. Text me if you can’t find me.”
Drew wandered around, not sure what he wanted to do, or where he wanted to go. He’d stuck his Kindle in the back pocket of his shorts, so he could always find a quiet place to read. But he was feeling out of sorts. When he had first agreed to accompany Kris on this cruise, he had foolishly imagined them developing feelings for each other, but apparently, that was wishful thinking on his part. Sure, Kris seemed nice enough, but he didn’t seem even remotely interested in him.What’s wrong with me?
“Good morning, Mr. Drew.” He’d been daydreaming while wandering around and looked up when he heard his name. Gabe was standing at the entrance to Neptune’s Reef.
“Hi, Gabe.”
“You don’t seem too happy today. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, it’s fine. Just feeling a little sorry for myself.”
“Come. Sit down and let me bring you something refreshing to drink. Theo makes a wonderful Aperol Spritz.”
Drew followed him into the lounge. Gabe pointed to one of the few high-top tables at the far end of the bar, and Drew sat. He waved a hello to Theo, who stood behind the bar.
“Are you sure I can’t help?” Gabe asked when he returned with the bright-orange beverage. “I really am a good listener.”
Drew wasn’t sure why, but he felt really comfortable with Gabe, and the bar was almost completely empty, so he said, “Actually, I’d love to tell someone.”
Gabe leaned on the table and looked at him intently. “I’m listening.”
“The truth is,” he began, “Kris and I aren’t really boyfriends. This is all a ploy to fool his parents. I thought it was a good idea at first, but now I’m just confused.” He proceeded to fill Gabe in on more details about the scheme that Izzy and Kris had come up with, also revealing that Kris’s sister, Kat, had already figured it out.
“Hmmm. I’m sorry you’re going through all of this, but something tells me there’s a bit more to this story,” Gabe said seriously. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve started to develop some feelings for Kris, no?”
